A woman from Thanh Hoa Province who had been declared dead for five years stunned officials when she reappeared at the Quang Trung Ward People’s Committee earlier this week, asking to revoke her death certificate  -  revealing a sophisticated insurance fraud scheme.

According to Thanh Hoa Provincial Police, on December 17, 2025, authorities in Quang Trung Ward received a report from a woman identifying herself as Nguyen Thi Thu (born 1984, resident of Group 3, Phu Son). She requested to annul her death registration. However, records showed that a person with the same name and address had been officially declared dead five years earlier, raising serious suspicions.

Initial investigations confirmed that the woman requesting the reversal was indeed the person who had been issued a death certificate. Police immediately transferred the case to the Provincial Criminal Investigation Division for further legal action.

Investigators discovered that in 2017, after divorcing her husband, Nguyen Thi Thu returned to live with her mother, Tran Thi Thap (born 1955), in Quang Trung Ward. During this period, Thu worked in the southern provinces and purchased four life insurance policies.

In 2020, after being diagnosed with cancer and experiencing constant arguments with her mother, Thu devised a plan to fake her death in order to collect insurance payouts.

Together with her mother, she orchestrated an elaborate ruse. They even hired a local shaman from Hoat Giang Commune to help stage a fake funeral. The shaman has since passed away in 2022.

On the morning of June 7, 2020, Thu staged a death scene at home. Her family then informed local authorities and relatives that she had died suddenly and requested assistance in organizing a burial.

The funeral was carried out quickly and discreetly. Only Thu, her mother, and the hired funeral assistant were aware that it was all a setup.

Late that night, Thu left home and stayed temporarily with the person who had helped conduct the funeral before relocating to Dong Nai Province for work. With the plan flawlessly executed, even local officials and extended family were convinced. A full funeral was held for someone presumed dead.

On June 8, 2020  -  the day after the staged death  -  Mrs. Thap went to the Phu Son Ward office to register her daughter’s death, citing "sudden death" as the cause. She also contacted various insurance companies to file claims.

A search of Mrs. Thap’s residence revealed numerous payment notices from insurers, showing that she had collected close to 1.3 billion VND  -  equivalent to nearly USD 53,000  -  in payouts.

During police questioning, Nguyen Thi Thu admitted to faking her death due to fears that her illness might prevent insurance eligibility. She claimed she wanted to ensure her mother would be financially cared for.

Authorities have now initiated criminal proceedings. Both Nguyen Thi Thu and her mother, Tran Thi Thap, are being held for investigation on charges of insurance fraud, in accordance with Vietnamese law.

Le Duong